CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda announced that the provincial government will allot P200 million for the construction of 267 classrooms intended for the full implementation of Kto 12 Program in 2016.
Pineda made the announcement when she met on Thursday with the 112 public high-school principals in the province at the provincial capitol.
The meeting was also attended by Board Members Rosve Henson, Ferdinand Labung, Nestor Tolentino, Ricardo Yabut, Anthony Joseph Torres, Bessie Macabali and Pampanga Department of Education (DepEd) officials.
Macabali is in charge of education-related projects at the Capitol.
Pineda said the Capitol will immediately start the construction of classrooms so the province could not be caught unprepared for the K to 12 Program.
Engineers Olimpio “Noli” Pangan and Wilfredo Manalili of the Provincial Engineering Office reported that the provincial government will build 28 classrooms in the three public high schools in Magalang; Guagua—14 classrooms; Sasmuan–three; Santa Rita—11; Lubao—12; Porac—nine; Floridablanca—16; Bacolor—14; Arayat—12; Mexico—72; Santa Ana—three; Santo Tomas—15; San Simon—16; Minalin—two; Apalit—12; Macabebe—nine; Masantol—four; San Luis—four; and Candaba—11.
She said the Capitol is very much willing to help the DepEd because K to 12 Program is intended to boost the educational standard of the graduates in high school at par with the graduates from other countries.
“If we fail to help the DepEd in responding to the scarcity of needed classrooms, many high-school students have no options but to stop from schooling. My administration wants all turning senior high-school students be in school in 2016 to finish their two more years of schooling. I want zero dropouts in senior high school,” the governor said.
Hence, she said Pampanga must be ready for the full implementation of the K to 12 Program. “We fully support the Senior High School program,” she said.
Earlier, Pineda advised the mayors to allot their respective annual P5-million financial assistance from the Capitol for the K to 12 Program’s needed facilities.
She also vowed to augment additional P5 million as financial aid for the construction of classrooms in each municipality and city where senior high school will be implemented in 2016.
Pineda said their assistance to the DepEd for the K to 12 Program is tantamount to helping youth in theirrespective towns and cities who are the direct beneficiaries.
The DepEd said the success of K to 12 also lies in the hands of the local government units from municipal, city to provincial, parents-teachers associations and non-governmental organizations, who are extending assistance to the department by sponsoring the construction of needed classrooms.
The department disclosed that the needed classrooms for first year senior high-school students starting 2016 are 432; Science Laboratory Building—33; Computer Laboratory Building—47; teachers—436; and workshop—101.
Image credits: Jun Jaso